LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The winter meetings are not just about wheeling and dealing, where all was quiet with the Giants on Tuesday morning. Awards are presented, too, and the Giants scout who recommended Brandon Belt, Bill Mueller, Kyle Crick, Kelby Tomlinson and others is getting a big one.
In a banquet Wednesday night, Todd "Tiny" Thomas will be honored as one of three Scouts of the Year after a vote of his contemporaries throughout baseball.
One award is given for each of three regions. A's special assistant Grady Fuson and Blue Jays special assignment scout Russ Bove also won. Thomas' territory includes northern Texas and northern Louisiana.
"I was blown away," Thomas said of winning. He called the list of past honorees a "Mount Rushmore" of scouts.
Thomas keeps in touch with Belt. Two weeks ago Belt told him he felt great fourth months removed from his latest concussion and is "ready to roll" for 2018.
Thomas, 56, first scouted Belt at the University of Texas and knows his bat inside and out. If Mueller is the most successful player recommended by Thomas, winning a batting title with the Red Sox, Belt is the biggest lightning rod and enigma, unable to rise from "good player" to "impact power hitter."
Thomas' opinion?
"I still think he's a great hitter. I think sometimes he has struck out too much trying to get to that power and be that 30-home-run guy. I think he's more of a guy who could potentially hit .300.
"I see him as a guy who needs to be hitting for average and playing Gold Glove defense, and I think the home runs will come. In our park I think it's futile to try to hit 30 homers, but if he just makes more contact and hits better, the home runs will be there and he'll be in the mid-20s."
The Giants hired Thomas as an area scout in 1987 after he played five years in their system. He works for an organization usually rated among the worst in top minor-league talent by Baseball America and MLB.com.
"What we would say about whether or not we have the top prospects, in somebody else's opinion is, we kind of liked winning three World Series in five years, and in '14 we had homegrown Posey, homegrown Belt, homegrown Panik, homegrown Crawford, homegrown Bumgarner, homegrown Cain," Thomas said.
"We might not have those prospects in the minor-leagues, but they were playing in the big-leagues for us. That makes it a lot of fun to watch, a homegrown crew win a World Series."
Meetings chatter: The meetings have been relatively quiet post-Giancarlo, but they could still heat up before they end Thursday. Teams have a pent-up demand to deal after the market was held hostage by Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani, and also because the meetings are relatively late this year.
Teams want to get stuff done before the holidays and will have 11 days between the end of the meetings and Christmas.
The Giants are involved in a wide smattering of conversations because they have so many holes to fill. They need a middle-order bat and could get that at third base or a corner outfield spot. That is their top priority, even more than a center fielder and relief help.
General manager Bobby Evans said Monday that while a defensive upgrade is paramount, the club might have to compromise if they can land a good hitter who is not an elite defender.
"I think the needs that we have offensively do create potentially some compromise of what we're doing offensively," Evans said. "They're both extremely important right now. In a perfect world we'll try to address both with one guy, but that remains to be seen, what opportunities will be present."
If rumors out of Arizona are true, one guy who can play a mean center field and hit might be available: A.J. Pollock. Arizona is looking to cut payroll and replenish its farm system.
The Giants also would like to find a left-handed reliever, but say they need to address other needs first.
Rule 5 trade? The Giants are listening to offers from teams who would like to acquire their second pick in Thursday's Rule 5 draft of unprotected minor-league players. Technically, the Giants would draft a player at the other team's behest then make the trade, usually for cash.
Evans said the club has not decided if it will consummate such a trade. They have an open 40-man roster spot, a prerequisite for participating in the draft. The Giants' desirable slot might persuade them to keep their pick and take a flyer on a player with virtually no risk.
Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman